diff --git a/src/Android/Avalonia.Android/Platform/ClipboardImpl.cs b/src/Android/Avalonia.Android/Platform/ClipboardImpl.cs
index 6559e013d2..2699488eda 100644
--- a/src/Android/Avalonia.Android/Platform/ClipboardImpl.cs
+++ b/src/Android/Avalonia.Android/Platform/ClipboardImpl.cs
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ namespace Avalonia.Android.Platform
                 return;
 
             var mimeTypes = dataTransfer.Formats
+                .Where(f => f.Kind != DataFormatKind.InProcess)
                 .Select(AndroidDataFormatHelper.DataFormatToMimeType)
                 .ToArray();
 
@@ -80,6 +81,9 @@ namespace Avalonia.Android.Platform
             // Create the item from the first format returning a supported value.
             foreach (var dataFormat in item.Formats)
             {
+                if (dataFormat.Kind == DataFormatKind.InProcess)
+                    continue;
+
                 hasFormats = true;
 
                 if (DataFormat.Text.Equals(dataFormat))
diff --git a/src/Avalonia.Base/Input/DataFormat.cs b/src/Avalonia.Base/Input/DataFormat.cs
index 14d1d4a30b..3531567724 100644
--- a/src/Avalonia.Base/Input/DataFormat.cs
+++ b/src/Avalonia.Base/Input/DataFormat.cs
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ public abstract class DataFormat : IEquatable<DataFormat>
         {
             DataFormatKind.Application => applicationPrefix + Identifier,
             DataFormatKind.Platform => Identifier,
-            _ => throw new InvalidOperationException($"Cannot get system name for universal format {Identifier}")
+            _ => throw new InvalidOperationException($"Cannot get system name for {Kind} format {Identifier}")
         };
     }
 
@@ -137,6 +137,23 @@ public abstract class DataFormat : IEquatable<DataFormat>
     public static DataFormat<string> CreateStringApplicationFormat(string identifier)
         => CreateApplicationFormat<string>(identifier);
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Creates a new format that stays within the current process and is never serialized to a platform clipboard or drag-and-drop operation.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <typeparam name="T">The data type. Can be any reference type.</typeparam>
+    /// <param name="identifier">
+    /// The format identifier. This value is only used for equality comparisons within the process
+    /// and is never passed to the underlying platform.
+    /// </param>
+    /// <returns>A new <see cref="DataFormat{T}"/>.</returns>
+    public static DataFormat<T> CreateInProcessFormat<T>(string identifier)
+        where T : class
+    {
+        ThrowHelper.ThrowIfNullOrEmpty(identifier);
+
+        return new(DataFormatKind.InProcess, identifier);
+    }
+
     private static DataFormat<T> CreateApplicationFormat<T>(string identifier)
         where T : class
     {
diff --git a/src/Avalonia.Base/Input/DataFormatKind.cs b/src/Avalonia.Base/Input/DataFormatKind.cs
index 17f778e189..af7b1465ea 100644
--- a/src/Avalonia.Base/Input/DataFormatKind.cs
+++ b/src/Avalonia.Base/Input/DataFormatKind.cs
@@ -42,5 +42,17 @@ public enum DataFormatKind
     /// It is not possible to create such a format directly.
     /// </para>
     /// </summary>
-    Universal
+    Universal,
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// <para>
+    /// The data format is only usable within the current process.
+    /// It never crosses process or serialization boundaries.
+    /// </para>
+    /// <para>
+    /// Such a format is created using <see cref="DataFormat.CreateInProcessFormat{T}"/>.
+    /// </para>
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <seealso cref="DataFormat.CreateInProcessFormat{T}"/>
+    InProcess
 }
diff --git a/src/Avalonia.Base/Input/DataFormatOfT.cs b/src/Avalonia.Base/Input/DataFormatOfT.cs
index 2036f49fb0..06a0980c4f 100644
--- a/src/Avalonia.Base/Input/DataFormatOfT.cs
+++ b/src/Avalonia.Base/Input/DataFormatOfT.cs
@@ -10,8 +10,9 @@ namespace Avalonia.Input;
 /// This class cannot be instantiated directly.
 /// Use universal formats such as <see cref="DataFormat.Text"/> and <see cref="DataFormat.File"/>,
 /// or create custom formats using <see cref="DataFormat.CreateBytesApplicationFormat"/>,
-/// <see cref="DataFormat.CreateStringApplicationFormat"/>, <see cref="DataFormat.CreateBytesPlatformFormat"/>
-/// or <see cref="DataFormat.CreateStringPlatformFormat"/>.
+/// <see cref="DataFormat.CreateStringApplicationFormat"/>, <see cref="DataFormat.CreateBytesPlatformFormat"/>,
+/// <see cref="DataFormat.CreateStringPlatformFormat"/>,
+/// or <see cref="DataFormat.CreateInProcessFormat{T}"/>.
 /// </remarks>
 [SuppressMessage("ReSharper", "UnusedTypeParameter", Justification = "Used to resolve typed overloads.")]
 public sealed class DataFormat<T> : DataFormat
diff --git a/src/Avalonia.Native/DataTransferItemToAvnClipboardDataItemWrapper.cs b/src/Avalonia.Native/DataTransferItemToAvnClipboardDataItemWrapper.cs
index e9be474598..4b659a3cc4 100644
--- a/src/Avalonia.Native/DataTransferItemToAvnClipboardDataItemWrapper.cs
+++ b/src/Avalonia.Native/DataTransferItemToAvnClipboardDataItemWrapper.cs
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ internal sealed class DataTransferItemToAvnClipboardDataItemWrapper(IDataTransfe
     private readonly IDataTransferItem _item = item;
 
     IAvnStringArray IAvnClipboardDataItem.ProvideFormats()
-        => new AvnStringArray(_item.Formats.Select(ClipboardDataFormatHelper.ToNativeFormat));
+        => new AvnStringArray(_item.Formats.Where(f => f.Kind != DataFormatKind.InProcess).Select(ClipboardDataFormatHelper.ToNativeFormat));
 
     IAvnClipboardDataValue? IAvnClipboardDataItem.GetValue(string format)
     {
@@ -63,6 +63,8 @@ internal sealed class DataTransferItemToAvnClipboardDataItemWrapper(IDataTransfe
         for (var i = 0; i < count; i++)
         {
             var format = formats[i];
+            if (format.Kind == DataFormatKind.InProcess)
+                continue;
             if (ClipboardDataFormatHelper.ToNativeFormat(format) == nativeFormat)
                 return format;
         }
diff --git a/src/Avalonia.X11/Clipboard/X11Clipboard.cs b/src/Avalonia.X11/Clipboard/X11Clipboard.cs
index 35abbf11c1..48d50d076a 100644
--- a/src/Avalonia.X11/Clipboard/X11Clipboard.cs
+++ b/src/Avalonia.X11/Clipboard/X11Clipboard.cs
@@ -253,6 +253,9 @@ namespace Avalonia.X11.Clipboard
             {
                 foreach (var format in dataTransfer.Formats)
                 {
+                    if (format.Kind == DataFormatKind.InProcess)
+                        continue;
+
                     foreach (var atom in ClipboardDataFormatHelper.ToAtoms(format, _textAtoms, _x11.Atoms))
                         atoms.Add(atom);
                 }
diff --git a/src/Browser/Avalonia.Browser/ClipboardImpl.cs b/src/Browser/Avalonia.Browser/ClipboardImpl.cs
index 75f50a5e93..3a4d44c278 100644
--- a/src/Browser/Avalonia.Browser/ClipboardImpl.cs
+++ b/src/Browser/Avalonia.Browser/ClipboardImpl.cs
@@ -40,6 +40,9 @@ internal sealed class ClipboardImpl : IClipboardImpl
         {
             foreach (var format in dataTransferItem.Formats)
             {
+                if (format.Kind == DataFormatKind.InProcess)
+                    continue;
+
                 var formatString = ToBrowserFormat(format);
                 if (!IsClipboardFormatSupported(formatString))
                     continue;
diff --git a/src/Windows/Avalonia.Win32/DataTransferToOleDataObjectWrapper.cs b/src/Windows/Avalonia.Win32/DataTransferToOleDataObjectWrapper.cs
index f8f1784180..b5c7f193eb 100644
--- a/src/Windows/Avalonia.Win32/DataTransferToOleDataObjectWrapper.cs
+++ b/src/Windows/Avalonia.Win32/DataTransferToOleDataObjectWrapper.cs
@@ -193,6 +193,9 @@ internal class DataTransferToOleDataObjectWrapper(IDataTransfer dataTransfer)
 
         foreach (var dataFormat in DataTransfer.Formats)
         {
+            if (dataFormat.Kind == DataFormatKind.InProcess)
+                continue;
+
             if (DataFormat.Bitmap.Equals(dataFormat))
             {
                 // We add extra formats for bitmaps
diff --git a/src/iOS/Avalonia.iOS/Clipboard/ClipboardImpl.cs b/src/iOS/Avalonia.iOS/Clipboard/ClipboardImpl.cs
index 20722e6314..57ff3c9043 100644
--- a/src/iOS/Avalonia.iOS/Clipboard/ClipboardImpl.cs
+++ b/src/iOS/Avalonia.iOS/Clipboard/ClipboardImpl.cs
@@ -65,6 +65,9 @@ internal sealed class ClipboardImpl(UIPasteboard pasteboard)
 
         foreach (var dataFormat in dataTransferItem.Formats)
         {
+            if (dataFormat.Kind == DataFormatKind.InProcess)
+                continue;
+
             var data = await TryGetFoundationDataAsync(dataTransferItem, dataFormat);
             if (data is null)
                 continue;
diff --git a/tests/Avalonia.Base.UnitTests/Input/DataFormatTests.cs b/tests/Avalonia.Base.UnitTests/Input/DataFormatTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e4eb52ecfc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Avalonia.Base.UnitTests/Input/DataFormatTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+using System;
+using Avalonia.Input;
+using Xunit;
+
+namespace Avalonia.Base.UnitTests.Input;
+
+public sealed class DataFormatTests
+{
+    [Fact]
+    public void CreateInProcessFormat_Returns_Format_With_InProcess_Kind()
+    {
+        var format = DataFormat.CreateInProcessFormat<string>("my-format");
+
+        Assert.Equal(DataFormatKind.InProcess, format.Kind);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void CreateInProcessFormat_Returns_Format_With_Correct_Identifier()
+    {
+        var format = DataFormat.CreateInProcessFormat<string>("my-format");
+
+        Assert.Equal("my-format", format.Identifier);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void CreateInProcessFormat_Throws_On_Null_Identifier()
+    {
+        Assert.Throws<ArgumentNullException>(() => DataFormat.CreateInProcessFormat<string>(null!));
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void CreateInProcessFormat_Throws_On_Empty_Identifier()
+    {
+        Assert.Throws<ArgumentException>(() => DataFormat.CreateInProcessFormat<string>(string.Empty));
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void CreateInProcessFormat_Allows_Non_ASCII_Identifiers()
+    {
+        var format = DataFormat.CreateInProcessFormat<string>("日本語フォーマット");
+
+        Assert.Equal("日本語フォーマット", format.Identifier);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void ToSystemName_Throws_For_InProcess()
+    {
+        var format = DataFormat.CreateInProcessFormat<string>("test");
+
+        Assert.Throws<InvalidOperationException>(() => format.ToSystemName("prefix."));
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void InProcess_Format_Equality_Same_Identifier()
+    {
+        var format1 = DataFormat.CreateInProcessFormat<string>("my-format");
+        var format2 = DataFormat.CreateInProcessFormat<string>("my-format");
+
+        Assert.Equal(format1, format2);
+        Assert.True(format1 == format2);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void InProcess_Format_Inequality_Different_Identifier()
+    {
+        var format1 = DataFormat.CreateInProcessFormat<string>("format-a");
+        var format2 = DataFormat.CreateInProcessFormat<string>("format-b");
+
+        Assert.NotEqual(format1, format2);
+        Assert.True(format1 != format2);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void InProcess_Format_Inequality_Different_Kind_Same_Identifier()
+    {
+        var inProcess = DataFormat.CreateInProcessFormat<string>("test-format");
+        var application = DataFormat.CreateStringApplicationFormat("test-format");
+
+        Assert.NotEqual<DataFormat>(inProcess, application);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void InProcess_Format_Works_With_DataTransferItem_Set_And_Get()
+    {
+        var format = DataFormat.CreateInProcessFormat<string>("my-inprocess");
+        var item = new DataTransferItem();
+        item.Set(format, "hello");
+
+        var value = item.TryGetValue(format);
+
+        Assert.Equal("hello", value);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void InProcess_Format_Coexists_With_Other_Formats_In_DataTransfer()
+    {
+        var inProcessFormat = DataFormat.CreateInProcessFormat<string>("my-inprocess");
+        var item = new DataTransferItem();
+        item.SetText("plain text");
+        item.Set(inProcessFormat, "in-process data");
+
+        var dataTransfer = new DataTransfer();
+        dataTransfer.Add(item);
+
+        Assert.Contains(DataFormat.Text, dataTransfer.Formats);
+        Assert.Contains(inProcessFormat, (System.Collections.Generic.IEnumerable<DataFormat>)dataTransfer.Formats);
+        Assert.Equal("plain text", item.TryGetValue(DataFormat.Text));
+        Assert.Equal("in-process data", item.TryGetValue(inProcessFormat));
+    }
+}